A/N: Still sick and in the middle of midterms. I'll update catch as catch can, so you may get very short chapters... like this one!

"Sir? I have the update you requested," the buzz-cut lieutenant – Raoul, his uniform read – said with a sharp salute.

Rear Admiral Boris Michailovich nodded. The Normandy-class frigates had been – despite his vocal objections – approved for limited production and testing after nearly a decade in development. In a cruel twist of fate, the task had fallen to him to work on integrating the reconnaissance vessels into the 63rd Scout Flotilla, and the task was as dauntingly large as it was frustrating. There were procedures to change, policy to update, training operations to conduct... the list was huge, and he's really have preferred another heavy cruiser instead.

"Good. How's progress?" he asked brusquely, mind on other issues.

"Going well, sir. The preliminary systems tests are done with the usual failure rate-" Raoul began before Michailovich spoke.

"That bad?" Michailovich interrupted, his brow raised, and the lieutenant cracked a smile.

"It is new hardware, sir," he said apologetically, and held up a small slate he was carrying. "Still, Adams doesn't think it'll take that long to fix – he said something about modular components before it all went over my head."

Michailovich shrugged. "Engineers," he said dismissively. "What about the crew?"

Raoul tapped a button on the slate and nodded. "Flight Lieutenant Jeffrey Moreau jumped at the chance – well, figuratively speaking," he said with a grin, and Boris laughed. "Adams has enthusiastically agreed to stay on as chief engineer, and if you want my personal opinion, sir, you'd have to pry the posting from his cold dead fingers."

"Engineers," Michailovich repeated with a shake of his head. "And the rest?"

"Captain Anderson's been approved as CO by Admiralty, but that wasn't unanticipated," he said with a small shrug. "He forwarded his staff requests for your approval, as well."

"Did he? That was fast," Michailovich said with a scowl. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

Raoul nodded. "Most of them are no-brainers, though, sir. Doctor Karin Chakwas for ship's physician, for example," he said, and Michailovich nodded in recognition. "She has a long history of working with Anderson, and they do well together. Others I'm less sure of, sir. I've taken the liberty of marking approval on all the obvious choices, but there are several you'll want to examine yourself," he said.

Michailovich shook his head. "If you didn't know me so well, Raoul, I'd accuse you of usurping authority," he said absently as he scanned the list. "Aleko... Alenko... I know that name..." he said, tapping the stylus against his cheek.

"He's an L2 biotic with several technical certifications, sir. Well-spoken, as well, and has a good head for politics." He shifted uncomfortably.

Michailovich sighed. "I know you don't like the L2s, Lieutenant, and off the record I'm not happy with most of them myself – bunch of special-treatment sissies, if you ask me – but they've proved themselves too many times to write off."

Raoul nodded. "I know sir, it's just..." he trailed off with a helpless shrug.

Michailovich nodded. "I know."

"To be completely honest, sir, he's not my main concern at the moment," Raoul said slowly.

"Oh? Who is?" Michailovich asked, quickly scanning the approval marks that his lieutenant had helpfully penned in for him. I'd be screwed without him, he thought absently as he ran down the list.

"Anderson wants Commander Shepard for his XO, sir. Last page," he offered at the admiral's scowl.

"Sheppard?" Michailovich asked as he flipped through the long document. "I thought they'd bumped him to Major and retired him," he said.

"Ah, no, sir. Shepard. Only one 'p', first name "L." Not an acronym," he said at the admiral's raised eyebrow. "She's a combat biotic, out of the Vanguard project, and graduated from the ICT with high marks."

Michailovich stared at him with a blank expression on his face. "She was involved with the siege on Torfan, sir, a couple years back?"

Recognition bloomed in the old Russian admiral's eyes and he swore. "Wait, that Shepard? The Butcher?" Raoul nodded, and Michailovich shook his head. "Why in God's name does Anderson want her? He's as straight-laced and goody-two-shoes as they come, and she sure as hell isn't!"

Raoul gave another small shrug. "He wouldn't say, sir."

Michailovich snorted. "Christ. Alright. Maybe he wants a counterbalancing influence, or something."

"To be fair, sir," his aide said calmly, "she's had an outstanding and, ah, uncontroversial record since Torfan, and her evaluations – both formal and informal – have been excellent. Her captain on the El Alamein spoke highly of her, sir. She apparently performed admirably in all assigned duties and got along well with the crew."

Michailovich rolled his eyes. "Of course she did," he said dryly.

Raoul tilted his head at the admiral in confusion. "Sir?"

"Never mind. Problems above your pay grade," he waved his hand dismissively and tapped the slate a few times before scrawling a signature. "Give that back to Anderson. Tell him I'm approving all of the requests except Shepard. I need to talk to the rest of the Admiralty about her before I let that one pass."

Raoul took the slate back and saluted. "Aye, aye, sir."

Michailovich nodded. "Anything else?"

The lieutenant shook his head. "No, sir."

The admiral leaned back in his chair and sighed, making a shooing motion toward the door. "Then thank you for the update, Lieutenant. Now clear out, I need to make some calls."

Raoul nodded and saluted again. "Of course, sir."

Like I said: Super short chapter. This is about a third of what this section was supposed to be. I'll get the other parts finished in the next few days and post them. Here's to physics tests!